BBB Tip: Automatic car washes can be troublesome

St. Louis, Mo., – Need to get a winter’s worth of gunk off of your vehicle? Make sure you do your research before taking your vehicle through an automatic car wash this spring.

Read more or hear from Better Business Bureau Regional Director Pamela Hernandez below:

Better Business Bureau (BBB) received more than 4,000 complaints about car washes in 2023, including 119 from consumers in the St. Louis region. The most common consumer complaints were that their vehicles were damaged while moving through the wash.

“Your vehicle is a big investment, so you want to make sure to care for it,” said Michelle L. Corey, BBB St. Louis president and CEO. “Make sure you know what you are liable for should your vehicle be damaged while it is being washed.”

A St. Louis woman reported in October 2023 that she took her vehicle through an automatic car wash in St. Louis. After going through the wash, she later noticed that the antenna on her car had snapped off. She said she had to pay more than $550 to have the antenna replaced. The car wash would not reimburse her for the damages because it said it had a sign posted listing what kinds of damages it is responsible for.

Consumers also report having problems with subscription plans, saying that they were not cancelled properly, and that money continued to be drawn from their accounts after they believed they had cancelled the service.

A man from Arnold, Missouri, told BBB in October that he took advantage of a promotion for three months of unlimited washes for $20. The man said he emailed the company toward the end of the period to cancel the membership. He said that the company continued to charge him occasionally after the cancellation.

BBB offers these tips on using car washes:

• Research any business and its owners carefully before paying any money. Check the company’s BBB Business Profile at BBB.org or by calling 888-996-3887. You can also see whether a business is BBB Accredited, meaning they are committed to BBB’s Standards of Trust and follow ethical business practices.
• Visit the business website to see if it has a list of vehicle restrictions. Many car washes will only accept vehicles of a certain size in their automatic bays. They also may list items or damage for which they are not responsible, including older vehicles, bug shields, antennas, running boards and externally attached items like magnets.
• Make sure to understand any subscription plans. If you give the company authorization to automatically renew your subscription, make sure that you write down when the subscription renews and monitor your bank or credit card statements. Know the steps you need to take to cancel the subscription before agreeing to it.
• Pay by credit card in case you need to challenge the purchase.
• If you feel like you have been wronged, file complaints with BBB and the state’s attorney general’s office.